Read Anything Good Lately?

by Susan Allen and Jane Lindaman

Book Overview

"A child's question prompts another's alphabetic reveries in this invitation to consider the many things and places to read: an atlas at the airport, a biography in bed. . . . In page-sized cartoons, Enright follows her smiling young bookworm from place to place, showing her reading alone and with company; indoors and out, up a tree, even in a Jacuzzi. Serving as a reminder to parents too, that reading opportunities are all around, this presents...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 082256470X
• ISBN13: 9780822564706
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: First Avenue Editions (Tm)
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 7.7" x 10.0"
• Age Range: 5 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 4

Customer Reviews

What a great way to learn types of reading

Quick! How many types of reading material can you name? Twenty-six? That's exactly what Susan Allen, Jane Lindaman, and Vicky Enright create for a playbook a teacher or librarian might use. Actually, more than twenty-six, but that's for you, dear reader, to discover in reading "Read Anything Good Lately"? The question begins innocently enough. A boy and girl, apparently neighborhood buddies, are out walking their dogs together. The girl, a bookworm if ever I saw one, gets the question, just a conversation-starter, a good question for this particular girl. By the time she reaches the end of the alphabet, deliberating exactly what she has read, they end their walk when they reach his house. Even so, the girl returns the question: "And what have you read lately?" He thinks of four things right off. That's the fun of this book--the creative, clever alliteration, suggestive but not imitative of the rhyming repetition of Dr. Seuss, without the tricky tongue work. Not one of these alphabet ditties is a stretch of the imagination, as you will find in some alphabet books. Here are some examples: An atlas at the airport Comic books around the campfire Fairy tales by the fireplace Joke books in the jacuzzi Literature at the library and so on. But that's not all the book is about. Each letter gets a full page, each FILLED with colorful things to look at. Here's "literature at the library." The girl is sitting on a red beanbag, reading "literature." Oh, silly me. She's reading "Charlotte's Web." Each full-page illustration shows a bubble of the page she reads. This bubble shows a pig on a farm talking to a spider on a web. That one's not difficult to discern! Also in the library illustration is a blue-napped carpet. The girl is leaning against rows of books in a low bookcase designed for children. On top is a glass cage with a little white mouse running on a wheel. Books are displayed atop the bookcase. One reads "Kente Color" (in reference to African cloth, I think). At the upper left of each page is the alphabetical letter for that page. In this case are a capital L and a small one with a picture of a vibrant lady bug designating the letter. There's plenty to look at and talk about for a reader and small child learning her letters and words and adding to her prior knowledge so that she is reading ready when the time comes. Also in all applicable illustrations is either the girl's cat--an orange tabby-- or her dog-a black lab. In a tree house the cat is asleep on a limb. In the park is the dog sitting patiently on the bench with her. Oh snap! He's not sitting patiently! He's at his wit's end. Look at that face! He's on the bench with his back turned to her. She is reading poetry-- aloud! He's dismayed, but dog-like, he suffers nobly. The two squirrels looking over her shoulder are loving the poetry and chuckling delightedly!! Another great thing found in this book is family! In several illustrations the girl sits with her daddy, who also demonstrates

...just curling up with a comic book.

I really enjoyed reading this book to my kids. The pictures were terrific and really captured my son's imagination. There's so much to talk about from the text and pictures. Frankly, it's one of those books I don't mind reading over and over and over.

Great Book

Just finished reading this book and found it entertaining and my niece loved it. It gave her lots of ideas for other places to enjoy reading and other ideas of things to read. They did a tremendous job on this book and I think it will motivate kids to read more. And also help parents to get their kids to read more as well. Should be mandatory reading for every kindergarden and first grade student. What a great way for them to learn the alphabet and learn sounds at the same time. Super job!!! I hope to see more books by these talented authors and teachers. Don

excellent book!

Great book for children starting to read and those learning the alphabet! Illustrations are fantastic!

The joy of reading, beautifully portrayed

The busy bookworm in "Read Anything Good Lately?" reminds us of all the various ways and locations that reading is a part of our life. Allen and Lindaman work their way creatively through the alphabet, accompanied by Enright's entertaining illustrations. Guaranteed to get you thinking of how much, and where, you read every day. A lovely, fun book all around.